August REPORT: Month in review
ft. my new LUSH fragrance obsession(s) and more
My preemptive apologies for being that person, but as much as I’ve enjoyed the sunshine this August, I’m so glad it’s starting to actually get dark in the evenings again in Amsterdam… and I kind of can’t wait for it to start getting chilly here, too.
I know, I know! I already said I’m sorry!!!
But before I wish what’s left of summer away so we can usher in a cozy autumn, here are the top things I read, ate, played, obsessed over, recommended, and treated myself to this past month.
Reading: SANDWICH
I doubt I could have picked a better beach read to bring along on my summer holiday. In fact, I have a feeling that this might end up being a book I bring on holidays with me every year from now on. It’s like the essence of summer captured in book form: exciting, exhausting, embarrassing, mundane, magical, wistful, lighthearted, anxious, nostalgic, and most of all, hopeful.
While I love my e-reader, I recommend buying SANDWICH by Catherine Newman in its physical form. Pack the paperback when you head on your next warm-weather vacation. Bring it into the pool with you and don’t worry about getting little water droplets on the pages. Dogear its pages. Underline the lines that make you laugh out loud. Wipe crumbs from it between bites over meals. Highlight the passages that break and melt your heart in equal measure. Understand that when your trip ends, it will be in a different condition: Flawed but, my god, so well-loved.
Once you get home, tuck it away until next summer, when you can pull it from the shelf and fondly remember the moments behind each of its earned imperfections. Pack it again. Re-read it again. Feel it all all over again. Thank me later.
Eating: TOMATOES AND PEACHES
It’s that time again! Fresh tomatoes and peaches are ripe, juicy, and in season and I’m putting them on everything. Some favorite recipes I’ve been experimenting with this season:
Playing: DOMINOES
I picked up a travel case of dominoes on a whim while shopping recently, and my partner and I have become obsessed with playing anytime we’re out and about—before our meals arrive at restaurants, when we’re waiting for friends at the bar, if we’re bored at home, etc.
I only realized after purchasing them that I’d never actually played dominoes before (ADHD moment, oops) but thankfully, the rules of play were super quick and easy to pick up. The games are fast-paced and don’t last too long, but they’re exciting. Kind of comparable to Uno, maybe? In any case, I highly recommend tossing a set in your bag to have on hand as an easy time-filler or icebreaker.
Obsessing over: MY BOOK
We have a cover! We have interior designs that are all but finalized! We have one more month until this thing actually goes to print, which seems surreal! I am so freaking excited to get the green light from Lonely Planet to start sharing more about it with subscribers here, so stay tuned!!!
Recommending: BAGGU
Feels like I might be the last person on the planet to hop on this particular bandwagon? In my defense, I figured the viral BAGGU medium crescent bag couldn’t possibly be that different from the viral Uniqlo crescent bag. But lo and behold, I was wrong, and not all crescent bags are created equally!
This isn’t sponsored or anything, I just wish someone had laid out the pros and cons of each bag for me before I made my decision. So if you’ve been considering buying one of these crescent bags—or if you already have one and have been considering trying the other—take the following into consideration.
The BAGGU holds so much more than the Uniqlo bag, it’s not even close. I can fit my phone, wallet, keys, lip balm, hand sanitizer, mobile charger and charging cord, portable fan, Kindle, dominoes, and 32 oz. Owala water bottle into my BAGGU with room to spare.
Beyond that, the BAGGU bag’s material is much more water-resistant (which is a necessity for me in rainy Amsterdam) and dog hair-resistant (a non-negotiable for anyone with a dog as fluffy as our Great Pyrenees mix) than the Uniqlo bag is. The BAGGU strap is thicker, higher quality, and much more comfortable. And the BAGGU has two roomy interior zip pockets, whereas the Uniqlo bag just has one interior zip pocket that’s rather shallow.
The only downside of BAGGU life, it seems, is that now I want the medium crescent in every color.
Treating myself to: A LUSH ROUTINE
Try as I might, I’ve yet to find a beauty/wellness brand more deserving of my loyalty than LUSH.
Again, this isn’t even sponsored (although every time I write that out, I wonder to myself, should it be? should I be reaching out to brands I genuinely like about partnership opportunities? should I be better at this whole content creator thing?), I just really appreciate that LUSH products do what they say they’ll do and that they offer a positive sensory experience for me every step of the way.
Anyway, I knew I wanted my new hair, bath, and body routine to be based around the Super Milk hair conditioning spray that all of TikTok has been freaking out about, which has the creamy, sweet, citrus-y fragrance reminiscent of… a coconut lemon cake, maybe? When I use it on the ends of my hair after showering, it smells incredible, and I catch whiffs of it all day long.
But when I looked at all the scent layering/fragrance pairing recommendations from other LUSHies on Reddit and TikTok (yes, this is a niche that exists on the internet and a virtual place where I spend a weird amount of my time) they were all focused on gourmand scents that emphasized the “baked goods” side of Super Milk’s scent profile, and I knew I wanted to play up the citrus side of things.
So naturally, I did what any normal person would do: I spent a few hours smelling every single item at the two LUSH stores in my city to determine which items would smell best together and work well for my hair and skincare needs. And I succeeded!
My new LUSH Super Milk-inspired routine:
Starting with SUPER MILK hair conditioning spray ft. fresh lemon juice, nourishing extra virgin olive oil, citrus-y litsea cubeba, and a blend of creamy almond, coconut, and oat milks, I added on…
MARILYN hair treatment (once a week) ft. chamomile, lemon juice, linseed, and extra virgin olive oil
SQUEAK shampoo ft. sea salt, lemon, orange, and fresh tropical fruit juices
GLORY conditioner ft. coconut cream, extra virgin olive oil, and castor oil
RUB RUB RUB shower scrub ft. sea salt, lemon juice, mimosa flower, and orange flower
MINAMISOMA shower oil ft. bergamot, citrus-y litsea cubeba, lemon juice, frankincense, and organic cocoa butter
PURITY & CLARITY massage oil bar (in lieu of a body lotion) ft. bergamot, citrus-y litsea cubeba, frankincense, and organic cocoa butter and shea butters
ZESTY body spray ft. lime, olibanum, neroli, and frankincense
SWEET WILD ORANGE hand balm ft.
LEMONY FLUTTER cuticle butter
Basically, I smell like a sweet, citrus-y, sunshine-y snack and I am thrilled about it.
It’s only been a week or so, but I’ve already gotten unsolicited compliments on how good I smell from strangers. Weird? Maybe. Appreciated? You bet the long-ass LUSH receipt I brought home after this purchase it is!
What’s in your August report?
Even if you’re not someone who enjoys “journaling” per se, this kind of guided reflection is a fun way to think about how you’ve been spending your time and energy lately. So, what have you been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating yourself to in the past month? I’d love to know!
I can't WAIT to see the cover!!!